HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING BY STÉPHANE DUJARRIC,
SPOKESMAN FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTÓNIO GUTERRES
MONDAY, 19 AUGUST 2024
WORLD HUMANITARIAN DAY
21 years ago today, 22 of our UN colleagues were murdered by the terrorists who attacked the UN headquarters at the Canal Hotel in Baghdad. Since 2009, every August 19th is observed as World Humanitarian Day.
Earlier today, the Under-Secretary-General for Operational Support Atul Khare led a remembrance ceremony at UN Headquarters, in front of the UN flag that flew atop the Canal Hotel which is now displayed in the General Assembly’s visitors’ lobby.
This afternoon, the Secretary-General will also mark the bombing in Baghdad with a moment of silence in the same location to honor our fallen colleagues and all of those who survived, many of whom remain working for the United Nations today.
In a Message for the Day, the Secretary-General notes that wherever there is human suffering, humanitarian aid workers are striving to alleviate hardship and pain
On World Humanitarian Day, Mr. Guterres said we demand an end to attacks on humanitarians and all civilians.
The Secretary-General stressed that we must all do more to protect and safeguard our common humanity.
To mark World Humanitarian Day, more than 400 humanitarian organizations have sent an open letter to Member States of the General Assembly calling for the protection of civilians, including their staff.
With 280 aid workers killed in 33 countries last year, 2023 marked the deadliest year on record for the global humanitarian community. This outrageously high number represents a 137 per cent increase compared to 2022, when 118 aid workers were killed.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warns that 2024 may be on track for an even deadlier outcome.
As of 7 August, 172 aid workers had been killed this year. That’s according to a provisional count from the Aid Worker Security Database.
A global digital campaign launched today calls on world leaders and parties to conflict to act for humanity. Heads of humanitarian organizations and their staff in more than 40 countries stood in solidarity to spotlight the horrifying toll of armed conflicts on civilians and their colleagues.
YEMEN
In a statement issued today, the Secretary-General said that he remains deeply concerned about the well-being of United Nations personnel, members of civil society, and national and international non-governmental organizations, diplomatic missions and private sector entities who have been arbitrarily detained by the Houthis for more than two months and he demands their immediate and unconditional release. He also strongly condemned the recent forced entry by the Houthis into the premises of the UN Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Sana’a. We note that the Houthis handed the office back to the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen today.
The Secretary-General reiterates that those detained must be treated with full respect for their human rights, and they must be able to contact their families and legal representatives.
The humanitarian and development situation in Yemen is dire, with over 18 million people suffering the consequences of food insecurity, epidemics, displacement, damaged infrastructure and critical economic conditions. The UN is working tirelessly to address the impact of the situation on the people of Yemen, but the safety of our personnel must be assured. The United Nations and its partners should never be targeted, should never be arrested, and should never be detained while carrying out our mandate.
YEMEN/OHCHR OFFICE
Just as I mentioned that the office was handed back today to our Resident Coordinator in Yemen, Julien Harneis. According to Julien, the office appears to be in its original state, but an inventory is currently underway.
The Resident Coordinator says we are encouraged by this move and renew our call for the immediate and unconditional release of all arbitrarily detained staff of UN and NGO and civil society personnel.
SECRETARY-GENERAL/TRAVELS
The Secretary-General leaves tonight for a series of visits to the Pacific and East Asia.
First, he will go to Samoa from 21-23 August where he will meet with Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa.
He will then briefly be in New Zealand, in Auckland, on 23-24 August, where he will meet with the Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. From there, he will go to Tonga from 24-27 August where he will participate in the Pacific Islands Forum. He is expected to meet with Prime Minister Sovaleni of Tonga, as well as other leaders attending the Pacific Islands Forum. His visit will also serve as an opportunity to emphasize the impact of sea level rise in the region and beyond. In both Pacific countries the Secretary-General will engage with local communities and civil society representatives, including young people.
The Secretary-General will then head off to Timor-Leste from 28-31 August where he will take part in the commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the Popular Consultation in the country, which was organized, as you will recall, by the United Nations.
He will then head off to Singapore for 1-2 September, where he will meet with the President of Singapore Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Prime Minister Wong Lawrence.
And, after that, from 2-5 September, he will be in China. Among other engagements there, he will take part in the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), and that will take place in Beijing where he will highlight the importance of South-South cooperation to build solidarity and drive progress on shared development goals. While in Beijing, he will also meet with senior government officials.
DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL/TRAVELS
The Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, is currently in Egypt, in Cairo.
Upon her arrival over the weekend, she attended the opening ceremony of the 43rd World Scout Conference. Highlighting the alignment of values between the UN and the Scout Movement, she also underscored the need for meaningful engagement of youth organizations, such as the Scouts, in decision-making to foster a more equitable, peaceful, and sustainable future.
The Deputy Secretary-General also participated in an intergenerational town hall, where she emphasized the importance of blending the innovative ideas of youth with the wisdom and experience of the older generation to develop more inclusive solutions to our challenges.
On the sideline of her visit, she also held bilateral meetings, including with the Foreign Minister of Egypt, Badr Abdelatty, to explore opportunities for collaboration in addressing the region's complex challenges, particularly in socioeconomic issues and the ongoing conflicts. She emphasized the need to push forward on an ambitious Pact for the Future.
Additionally, she met with Dr. Amjad Barham, the Palestinian Authority’s Minister of Education to discuss possibilities for getting children back to learning in Gaza and the West Bank, and among refugees in Egypt.
Ms. Mohammed also met with the UN country team and regional directors.
And today she is in the North Coast and the Nile Delta, to visit a UN project focused on coastal protection and the reduction of flooding.
GAZA
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warns that repeated waves of displacement – combined with overcrowding, insecurity, crumbling infrastructure, active hostilities, and limited services – is worsening the humanitarian situation in Gaza, which is already catastrophic.
According to our colleagues working on the ground, some 13,500 displaced Palestinians across 18 sites have been affected by the latest Israeli evacuation order on Saturday. That order encompasses the entire Al Maghazi Refugee Camp, and several other neighbourhoods located in Deir al Balah area of Gaza. Initial mapping indicates that the areas newly placed under evacuation orders include five school buildings; 14 water, sanitation and health facilities; and 10 health sites, including two primary health care centres and five medical points.
OCHA warns that the ongoing hostilities, constant evacuation orders, and severe shortages of essential supplies are making it increasingly difficult for displaced families to access basic services at their place of arrival.
Since October, 86 per cent of the Gaza Strip – some 314 square kilometres – has been placed under evacuation orders.
Gaza’s population is increasingly concentrated in a zone designated by Israeli authorities in Al Mawasi, where Palestinians have been told to go. OCHA says the density of this area has surged to between 30,000 and 34,000 people per square kilometre, which is compared to an estimated 1,200 people prior to October.
Meanwhile, severe fuel shortages are forcing hospitals to postpone critical surgeries and threaten to halt the operation of ambulances, particularly in northern Gaza.
SUDAN
This weekend we issued a statement in which the Secretary-General commended the decision of the authorities in Sudan to reopen the Adre border crossing which is located between Chad and Darfur.
It is the most direct and efficient route for humanitarian aid to reach the millions in Darfur facing record levels of acute hunger.
The Secretary-General stressed that humanitarian organizations must have full, safe and unhindered access to all civilians in need across Darfur and across all of Sudan, for that matter.
SUDAN/HUMANITARIAN
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has also received confirmation that the Sudanese authorities have approved the movement of 131 trucks with food and non-food relief supplies across the border from Chad at that crossing. This will meet the needs of hundreds of thousands of people during and even beyond the peak of the rainy season, as well as the lean season in August and September.
Meanwhile, OCHA says it is also sounding the alarm about the devastating impact of heavy rains and flooding across Sudan.
More than a quarter of a million people – that’s some 258,000 – have been impacted across 13 of Sudan’s 18 states since the onset of the rainy season in June. This includes nearly 119,000 who have been displaced by the flooding.
The rains are wreaking havoc in displacement sites, including Abu Shouk camp and Zamzam camp, where famine conditions were confirmed earlier this month. Both are located near El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur.
Flooding is also raising the risk of disease outbreaks. Cholera cases have started to increase in recent weeks, with hundreds of cases reported. A dozen states in Sudan are facing outbreaks of multiple diseases at once – at a time when three-quarters of health care facilities in the worst affected areas are no longer functioning.
UKRAINE/HEALTHCARE ATTACKS
The World Health Organization (WHO) today said that it has recorded 1940 attacks on health care in Ukraine since the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of the country on 24 February 2022. This is the highest number WHO has ever recorded in any humanitarian emergency globally.
WHO warned that attacks on health facilities have intensified significantly since December 2023, now occurring on a near-daily basis.
The World Health Organization noted that access to health care for communities near the frontlines has been constrained, with increased risk of illness and death for populations living there as well as elsewhere. Despite the relentless attacks, Ukrainian health authorities continue to respond quickly to needs. In areas of acute need, such as those on the frontlines, humanitarian organizations contribute to filling the gaps and improving access to medical care.
NOON BRIEFING GUEST TOMORROW
Tomorrow, Imran Riza, the Resident Humanitarian Coordinator for Lebanon, will brief journalists on the humanitarian situation in the country.
FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS
Zambia and Seychelles paid their dues to the regular budget in full. There are now 125 Member States who have paid up in full.